Valley Water’s annual Capital Improvement Program: Projects to protect our community from floods

Every year, Valley Water updates its funding plan for the critical infrastructure projects necessary to meet Santa Clara County's needs. The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Five-Year Plan is a detailed document that outlines the funding for the planning, design and construction of water-related infrastructure.

Valley Water is committed to transparency and public engagement as we develop the plan. To ensure that our initiatives align with community values and priorities, we will host meetings and presentations to inform and involve residents in decision-making.

As we prepare the CIP preliminary fiscal year 2026-2030 five-year plan, we focus on enhancing flood protection through strategic initiatives that allocate significant resources to combat potential flooding risks. The plan features 18 projects to increase flood protection, which accounts for $2 billion of the total budget.

Here's a look at some of the flood protection projects included in the plan:

Coyote Creek Flood Protection Project

Coyote Watershed

Valley Water has completed the Coyote Creek Flood Management Measures Project. This project involved the construction of 8,500 feet of robust floodwalls along a four-mile stretch between Old Oakland Road and Interstate 280. The floodwalls allow us to manage the anticipated flows from the new outlet tunnel at Anderson Dam, protecting homes and businesses from the impacts of severe weather events.

Upper Llagas Creek Flood Protection Project

Uvas/Llagas Watershed

Our crews are also commencing work on a new phase in the Upper Llagas Creek Flood Protection Project, a vital initiative aimed at bolstering the safety and security of our community in southern Santa Clara County. Spanning approximately 13.9 miles along East Little Llagas Creek, West Little Llagas Creek, and Llagas Creek, this project is designed to safeguard around 1,100 homes, 500 businesses, and over 1,300 acres of agricultural land in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and the unincorporated area of San Martin.

Sunnyvale East and West Channels

West Valley Watershed

Valley Water is also bolstering flood protection in our community by advancing critical upgrades to the Sunnyvale East and West Channels. These enhancements will cover approximately 6.4 miles of the East Channel and three miles of the West Channel, providing vital 1% flood protection-equivalent to a 100-year event-for 1,618 parcels and safeguarding 47 acres of valuable industrial land, including the Onizuka Air Force Base.

Upcoming Meetings

The timeline for this process began on January 14, 2025, with a Valley Water Board work-study session dedicated to reviewing the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) preliminary five-year plan and preliminary groundwater production charges. Following this, on February 25, 2025, staff will present the draft plan to the Valley Water Board for their approval.

Once the draft is approved, we will enter a 60-day public review period. This period is an opportunity for residents to provide feedback on the draft plan, ensuring that the voices of our community are heard and considered. We encourage all community members to participate actively in this review process.

On April 8, 2025, we will hold a public hearing to formally receive feedback from the public. The outreach process will conclude with the closure of the public hearing in May 2025, when our staff will present the final CIP fiscal year 2026-2030 five-year plan and the fiscal year 2026-27 biennial budget to the Valley Water Board for approval.

For meeting information, please visit https://scvwd.legistar.com/.

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